Robert “Bob” Michael Churilla

CHURILLA

Robert M. “Bob”, age 84, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 16, 2025. He was formerly of Williamsburg, VA; Princeton Junction, NJ; Manchester, CT; and most recently, Bethlehem, PA.

Born June 14, 1940, in Hartford, CT, Bob grew up in Manchester and graduated from Manchester High School. He went on to attend Grove City College in Pennsylvania. During the Vietnam War era, he proudly served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as an aircraft engineer, maintaining and repairing military planes—a responsibility he carried out with pride and precision.

Early in his career, Bob worked at Hamilton Standard in Connecticut, where he had the meaningful experience of working alongside his father. He later transitioned into international banking, launching a distinguished global career with Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City, where he worked for nearly 30 years. During his time at Chase, his line of work was integral to the advent of the ATM, a transformative milestone in modern banking. He helped lead operations throughout Latin America, as well as in Singapore, Tokyo, Zurich, and London. He also cherished personal travels to Greece, Scandinavia, the UK, Maine, and to visit his parents in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Bob had a deep passion for food and was known for his sweet tooth. He delighted in discovering new restaurants, sampling cuisines from around the world, and never turned down a good dessert. Whether fine dining or grabbing a mocha latte at Wawa, food was one of life’s greatest pleasures for him—always best enjoyed with family and friends.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Bob was a high jumper and basketball player in his youth and later passed his love of athletics on to his daughters—teaching them to ski, play basketball, and enjoy many other sports. Bob especially loved tailgating at Princeton football games and watching from the sidelines with his best friends, who were also the team’s coaches.

Bob took great pride in his daughters— Carol, who held an executive role at a financial firm in New York City, prior to dedicating herself full time to raising her four children in Pennsylvania and Lynda, a fashion photographer in New York City. He enjoyed sharing stories about their lives and accomplishments with friends and family. He also loved cheering on his grandchildren and took great joy in their athletic achievements.

He had an exceptional sense of humor and was a master jokester—delivering jokes with perfect timing and enthusiasm. Over time, his collection of “dad joke” books grew, and though his delivery was legendary, his daughters sometimes had to remind him to remember who his audience was.

He was endlessly social and could strike up a conversation with anyone—often joking that he’d even talk to a tree.

Despite long commutes to Manhattan, Bob was a devoted father who made time for his family. Summers at the Cranbury Swim Club were full of joyful family moments and community.

He even played softball for the “Italian American” team in East Windsor—fitting in thanks to his last name—though he liked to remind people he was Czech, often saying with a smile, “Jak se máš?”

Bob also enjoyed giving his daughters rides on his Honda 150 motorcycle, sharing laughter and thrills.

In his later years, Bob found joy in Williamsburg, VA, where he joined a church choir, a garden club, and was affectionately called the “mayor” of his community clubhouse. He and his beloved wife Jackie were known as “the lovebirds,” always holding hands. They loved to entertain, frequently dined out, and especially cherished when family and grandchildren came to visit them in Williamsburg.

Her passing four years ago was deeply felt, and he missed her dearly every day.

Bob spent his final years in Bethlehem, PA, where he developed a close-knit group of friends and enjoyed life to the fullest—playing bocce ball and racehorse canasta, gathering at the clubhouse, and making others laugh. His last six months were spent near his daughters, and he deeply valued the time with family and frequent visits. Though he never had the chance to meet his great-granddaughter, Scottie Jo, who was born just one day after his passing, her arrival brought comfort and joy to the family.

He was predeceased by his wife Jacquelyn “Jackie” (née Davis); his parents Mary (née Kozak) and George P. Churilla; and his brother Edward (Eleanor) Churilla.

He is survived by his loving daughters Carol (Robert) D’Anjolell and Lynda (John) Churilla-Walton, and their mother Barbara Churilla (née Kuryan); his cherished grandchildren Robert (Natalie), Michael, Christina, and Abigail D’Anjolell; and his great-granddaughter, Scottie Jo D’Anjolell.

He is also survived by his stepchildren William (Debra) Quinton, Suzanne (the late John) McNulty, Carrie (John) Oesmann, and Jeannette Quinton, his step grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Steve) Wilcox, Sean (Stephanie) McNulty, Jeffrey (Jacqui) Quinton, Gregory (Rachel) Quinton, Jackie (Ken) Kruk, Kelsey (Blake) Wilson, and Maggie Rogers, and seven step great-grandchildren.

Relatives and Friends are invited to his Visitation, Saturday, May 31st 10 AM – 10:45 AM followed by his Memorial Mass 11:00 AM, ALL IN CHURCH, at St. Anastasia Church, 3601 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073. Inurnment private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation at https://t2t.org/

Live Stream Link: https://x.com/danjolell2811?t=aCSOOkSWz6Qs49m1b8YGTw&s=09

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